"I'm telling you, the mayor's wife's Valentine's Day party is the worst... the absolute worst." Jim Ellison was helping Michelle Futterman bag candy hearts and miniature bears for the children in Cascade Hospital. "Like Valentine's Day isn't bad enough on it's own everyone at major crimes has to attend that @#@#@ party."
"Jim!"
"Sorry. It's just if you've ever been to one of these things you'd be saying similar."
Michelle chuckled. "Oh, I doubt that. I don't think I'm even that familiar with the particular expletive you chose."
"Okay, okay, maybe you'd phrase it differently. But I swear there is probably not a night I dread more the entire year." He rose and headed for the kitchen. "Do you want anything?"
"Yes," she replied. "For you to tell me why you hate Valentine's Day so much."
Jim returned with two bottles of juice. Handing her one he clarified. "I meant along the lines of something to drink."
Michelle dropped the last of the bears into the final gift bag. "Why don't you tell me anyway?"
"It's the mayor's wife. She runs the whole party like it's some major movie production. She directs everyone's every move. 'It's time for a toast. It's time for a waltz. It's time to ....' Well, you get the idea." He took a swig from his bottle.
"Oh, I get the idea. You still haven't told me why you hate Valentine's Day.
"I told you..."
"Why you hate the party," Michelle interrupted. "But there's more to it." She paused as he avoided her statement with another drink. "Is it because of Carolyn?"
"I don't know." He drained the rest of the juice. "What I mean is I don't know why I hate it so much. I just do."
Michelle folded her arms. "Maybe it would help if you remembered the real reason we celebrate the holiday in the the first place..."
This time Jim interrupted her. "I already know all about that. No greater love etc... etc... Simon showed me a book he'd gotten about why we celebrate certain holidays. It had the whole story of St. Valentine. So, I already know it's not suppose to be about romantic love. I guess brotherly love doesn't sell enough greeting cards."
"Maybe not." Michelle sighed as she gathered the filled bags and loaded them into a large brown shopping bag.
"So are you going to go with me?" Jim asked her.
"Go where?"
"To that ridiculous party."
"I don't think so."
Jim was shocked. "Why not?"
"Well, you just got through telling me how miserable it's going to be. I don't want to have a rotten Valentine's Day." There was a pause before she broke into a smile. "Don't worry. I'll go with you.."
Jim smiled too. "Good. We can double with Blair and Tegan."
Michelle raised an eyebrow. "Tegan?"
Jim nodded. "Yeah, that's her nickname. She's a real Dr. Who nut."
Michelle grabbed the shopping bag. "That's fine with me. But we'll have to take my car. Your truck won't hold all of us and Blair's car may or may not be running."
"True. But let me drive."
Michelle headed for the door. "I'll think about it. And something for you to think about. You won't have it as bad as the kids in the hospital."
Jim joined her at the door. "I know. I was just blustering. But if what the holiday is about is really a brotherly love...
"You should be spending it with Blair."
Jim nodded. "His friendship is the greatest gift I've ever been given." Sighing he said, "I'll see you. And, by the way, it's formal."
Michelle kissed his cheek. "What else." The door closed.
Jim had certainly been correct. From the moment the two couples entered the elegant ballroom they were inundated by directions from the mayor's wife. It started with "Put this is your hair." as she clipped barretts with small pink and white feathers to the sides of Tegan's and Michelle's heads.
"Great, I haven't been here a minute and I'm wearing plumage," Michelle joked.
All Jim could say was, "I warned you."
Blair glanced to Jim. "I never understood why all these bozos in monkey suits do what she says all night." There was a pause. "Including us."
As if it explained everything Jim replied with a shrug, "She's the mayor's wife."
Tegan touched at the barrett. "I don't think it matches my dress."
Blair took her arm. "It looks fine," he reassurred.
The four then proceeded to their next direction which had been to get photographed.
And so it went. From the pictures to the dance floor to the refreshment tables. They literally could not make a move if the mayor's wife first didn't make the proverbial announcement. In fact she seemed to be everywhere at once choreographing the party. Was this person really triplets?
Tegan nudged Michelle. "I have to use the ladies room. Do you think we have to wait until we're told it's time?"
And so it continued. Every five minutes or so the mayor's wife went to the PA to give an instruction that began with, "People!" And yada, yada.
Finally, the end of the night was within reach. Mrs. mayor went to the microphone with her final proclamation. "People! It behooves me and sorrows me to say that we have reached the end of this most wonderful festivity. And it being the day that it is before departing it is now time to kiss the one you love."
Michelle watched as couples obediently kissed each other. As it is written so shall it be done, she thought. She also noticed that Jim who had played follow the leader all night without complaint had not responded to Mrs. Mayor's last request. Not that she was expecting him to... But when she glanced up she realized that his eyes were trained on the person he really, truly loved in the real spirit of the holiday.
Jim watched as Blair and Tegan followed through with the final commandment of the night.
Prodding him gently with her arm Michelle told him, "Go on." She canted her head toward them. "Go on," she urged again.
Jim slowly made his way to where Blair and Tegan were just breaking their kiss. Tentatively, Jim touched Blair's shoulder.
Blair turned. "Jim, what's wrong, man?" He'd noticed that Jim's hand was shaking.
"Just doing what the lady said." And with no further warning he dropped a brief, gentle kiss on Blair's mouth.
"The evening wasn't as bad as it could have been," Jim confessed. He and Michelle sat in the front seat of her car while Blair walked Tegan to her doorstep. "And maybe you were right about me hating Valentine's Day. But not because of Carolyn. I think it's because of me. I'd never really quite felt it before."
"And you do now?"
Jim laughed. "Not all the way. I don't get why, if you love someone... anyone you just make a big deal of it on one particular day. It seems so commercial. Geez, I'm starting to sound like him. But speaking of commercial..." He reached into his pocket and produced a small box. Handing it to her he said, "Happy Valentine's Day."
Michelle accepted the gift. Carefully, she opened the lid. Inside, resting on a bed of cotton was a pin in the shape of the Star of David, one triangle in blue stones, the other white. "It's lovely," she breathed.
"You're lovely," Jim told her. She finally got her kiss.
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"Man, I cannot believe Michelle let you drive her car," Blair commented as he entered the loft removing his tie in the process. Unbuttoning his collar he added, "I can't wait to get out of this thing."
Jim entered behind him, closing the door and locking it. "Could you hold off on that a bit longer, Chief." "Aw, Jim, man..."
"Chief, please."
Sensing the importance Blair capitulated.
"Come here a minute," Jim said sitting on the couch and patting the cushion next to him.
"This is going to be more than a minute isn't it? Okay," Blair relented and joined his friend.
"First," Jim began, "about tonight. I didn't mean to put you on the spot."
Blair shrugged. "No problem. But maybe Michelle would have liked a kiss."
Jim chuckled. "Actually, she helped send me in your direction. She seems to understand us pretty well."
Blair nodded. "Got to agree with you there. Her favorite Bible story is David and Jonathan. She says we're a lot like that." Blair's eyes darted to Jim's. "You DID get her something?"
"Yes, Chief, I did. And," he reached behind one of the back cushions and came up with a small box. "I got you something too." Blair stared blankly at the box in Jim's hand. "Go on, Junior, take it."
Gingerly, Blair accepted the box. "I didn't get you anything."
Jim ran a hand over Blair's hair. "I'm going to tell you something." He cupped Blair's face and turned it to look directly into his eyes. "Your friendship is the greatest gift I've ever received. I want you to know that's how I feel about it."
Blair swallowed hard. "I do know that."
Jim smiled. "Then open it."
Blair had to suppress a laugh. He opened the box finding a unique pendant. It was a star of David with a peace sign in the center. "Oh, man, this is so totally cool. Where did you find it?"
"Mail order," was Jim's answer. "A jeweler named Shiroka."
All of a sudden Jim's arms were filled with an anthropologist. "I guess you like it then?"
Blair pulled back to look Jim in the eye but still holding on. "I love you, Jim."
"Love you too, Chief." They gave each other a quick kiss on the lips and fell into an embrace. "Happy Valentine's Day, Chief."
THE END